My brew schedule...

Ed and I brewed up a Belgian Wit a few weeks ago that is just now ready and it is fantastic. I'll try and save a few for September. Here is my schedule going forward. Any thoughts on these recipes from other homebrewers out there? If I find the time to brew them all, look for a beer party one afternoon in September!

I wonder if you wouldn't be better off doubling the roast barley and halving or deleting the black patent. In my experience, black patent doesn't play nicely with oatmeal stouts.

The other thing I wonder is if 1.5 lbs of oatmeal might not make a viscous mess out of your sparge. Just myself, I'd cut down the oatmeal to 1 lb.

The caveat to this is that since your homebrewering technique and (wait for it...) your water will play a big role in how assertive are the components of your beer, it all depends. My guess is that you have nothing but the purest Kentucky water that has trickled up from deep, ancient limestone springs
Either that or river water...

As an aside, part of my style for pale ales is to soften the water with lactic acid so that I can overhop without getting to a high bitterness or raw hop character in the finishing hops.

Of course, what I really mean to advise is whatever Jeff Renner is about to write, not what I just wrote...

Roger

Hey, it's fun to talk about beer - probably because in addition to drinking it, we can create beer and become knowledgeable about it through actual experience, where we can only talk about whiskey; how much it cost, where to find it, how it used ta be better (did not! - did too!) or whose source trumps the other's.

Re: My brew schedule...

Good suggestion on the black patent. I don't think I'll eliminate it completely, but I might cut it back to .25lb. I have used that amount of oats before with no problems. I don't claim any technical prowess, but the setup I built has so far proven to be stuck-sparge proof. (I know, I'm just asking for it). Here is a link to pics of my setup:

You're right, beer is something that we have control over. I can't make bourbon, and wine is so dependent on the quality of the fruit you start with, that I wouldn't stand a chance of making good wine here in KY, but I can make better beer than anything I can buy, IMHO.

Re: My brew schedule...

Jeff,

Just curious about the wheat malt in your alt: is that just for head retention? I like the look of the recipe. On the low end of bitterness for a Dusseldorf alt, but it looks like a great session beer for the fall.

As for that IPA, it looks fantastic. I brew something similar at least once a year. Love Centennial hops, love Bell's Two-Hearted. I've never cultured up their yeast, though (sixers of their yeast samples are hard to come by in these parts). I have found Wyeast American Ale II (WLP California Ale V) yields a good, rich mouthfeel and slight nuttiness along the same lines.

I look forward to hearing how these turn out. Homebrewing does yield a good bit of control, but there's also a slight level of unpredictability and lack of repeatability that I generally enjoy. It's along the lines of baking or cooking, in that the same recipe and procedure followed meticulously over and over again can still yield slightly different results.

Re: My brew schedule...

Thanks, yes the wheat is mainly for head retention. I throw .5lb or so into a lot of my beers. Centennials are my favorite hops. In fact, I've got Centennials and Cascades planted in a container on my deck, and I'll transplant them into the yard when they get a little bigger.

New toys

The Barley Crusher will allow me to crush my own grain, and not be dependent on my LHBS for the crush. Also it will allow me to purchase malt in bulk (55lb sacks) at significantly reduced prices.

My new fermentation cooler is made from a 60qt Ice Cube cooler that I got from Wal-Mart for $20. I cut a couple of holes in the lid to allow the carboy mouth and air-lock to stick through. I'll load it with a few freezer-packs and change them out daily. This will allow me to maintain proper fermentation temps all year long. I would prefer a dedicated refrigerator, but Leslie is only so tolerant

To the right of the closed cooler is my little Centennial plant starting to grow!

Re: My brew schedule...

I have been told by others with a similar setup that with several bottles of ice/freezer pack, you can maintain temps in the lager range. I'm only brewing ales now too, but I'll report back with my findings. I don't think I'd want to be changing out ice daily for months though.

Re: My brew schedule...

Rughi, "As an aside, part of my style for pale ales is to soften the water with lactic acid so that I can overhop without getting to a high bitterness or raw hop character in the finishing hops."

Just a comment with regard to lactic acid...

I found out I was mildy allergic to lactic acid when a friend brew a Milk Stout. He and i live and hour apart and I consumed one 700 ml bottle and drove home about 45 minutes later. I made it home and got to the bathroom in time. If I ever find myself constipated I know just what to use for quick cure.

Unfortunately, it took another 375ml bottle of the stuff to figure out the cause of my free-flowing bowels. Lovely stout ... but I'll pass in future.